This year, as is now tradition, we stopped by the Vista AF Corse garage to interview Francesco Castellacci, who has already made an appearance on Race Diary in 2024 and 2025.
The 2026 Imola 6 Hours, due to the postponement of the Qatar race, served as the season opener and has also hosted the prologue. Imola is Francesco’s home race; although he races under the Monégasque flag, he was born and raised in Rome. A home race, therefore, made even more special by the honor of racing for Ferrari in an atmosphere full of fans and surrounded by his family.
“Starting in Imola is definitely fantastic. There’s been so much anticipation given the delay in starting the championship. So, finally, starting here in Imola is truly amazing, and plus having all the Italian fans! We’re seeing that it will probably be the record attendance in WEC history in terms of spectators, after Le Mans. And then having my family here is truly something unique and gives me the right energy for the race.”
Imola: a complicated track
In 2024, the Italian driver spoke to us at length about the historic Italian track, also underlining the circuit’s complexities. Castellacci spoke about the challenges for the LMGT3 cars. The most impactful being the traffic that builds up during the race as this track is very narrow. Then there’s the difficulty on the straight, which is a continuous bend, another factor that makes overtaking more difficult. All these details place the emphasis on high aerodynamic load, good traction, good chassis response, and a car capable of attacking the curbs.
But this year, there are some new additions, first and foremost in the Vista AF Corse garage: a Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo. An evolution of the previous model, it features modifications to the aerodynamics, suspension, and transmission. We asked Francesco how he feels about the new car and the changes introduced this year:
“All positive differences, I’m happy with everything. I’m very happy we have this car, it’s a little more complex to drive. You have to know how to exploit the aerodynamics, because there’s more downforce, but that helps us, especially in traffic. The real advantage is when we’re in the slipstream of the other cars. Last year with the previous car you lost a bit of downforce, now you can stay in traffic, not just with the Hypercars, but also when you’re battling with another GT, you lose less downforce.”
Goodyear changes the rules: tire changes for 2026
Another change coming in 2026 concerns the tires. The new regulations introduce significant changes for the new season to increase strategic flexibility. An increase in tire allocation per race weekend has been introduced, and here at Imola, the team has 24 tires instead of 16. This rule change allows for fresh tires to be fitted for each stint, an opportunity the team has decided to utilize, particularly in the strategy of Francesco’s teammate, Thomas Flohr.
“The increased tire size allows us to have a fresh set every hour. This will be especially helpful for Thomas, who last year complained about having to do a double stint to give us the new tires. This year, however, he’ll also have new tires in his second stint, so we’ll definitely use a new set for both stints with Thomas: two sets. Also, we’ll probably split Thomas’s stint. This means he won’t do two hours straight, but probably a first hour for him and then me, and then Thomas again; so, he won’t do a double stint back to back, and most importantly, not with the same tire, but with two different sets.”
Not only are the tires changing, but there are also new compounds. The hard compound has been eliminated, having been introduced in 2025. This decision was made to make room exclusively for the highly versatile Eagle Medium compound. Francesco told us what this means for the #54.
“It’s definitely better for us because last year we struggled a bit more in the races with the hard tyres. Our car is much better with the medium tyres; with the mid-rear engine, the medium tyres work better, so I think we have an advantage. We’ll be able to exploit this.”
The honor of racing a Ferrari
In 2025, we discussed with Francesco the idea of racing in Italy aboard a Ferrari; he described it as a dream he’d had since he was a child. The Italian driver has been with AF Corse since 2011, and in the WEC with Thomas Flohr since 2017, and, as he says, “they grew up together in the WEC.”
Castellacci described the team as a second family, which makes every race even more special.
“As an Italian driver, I couldn’t ask for anything better than being able to represent Ferrari in the GT endurance world championship.”
Racing with Ferrari, not just at Imola, is always special, but this year the Maranello-based manufacturer entered as the reigning champion, fresh from its victory in the 2025 world championship. This makes Francesco even more proud to be part of the team.
“It’s an honor to continue to be part of Ferrari, it’s an honor to continue to be part of AF Corse. I’ve been with AF Corse since 2011 and I thank Amato Ferrari for his trust, I’m very happy. Racing for the team that won the world championship is something exceptional in any case.”
The Race
After qualifying in eighteenth place on the grid, Thomas Flohr took the start. Francesco then took the wheel of the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo and, taking advantage of the Virtual Safety Car, mounted a comeback to seventh place. Davide Rigon took the Prancing Horse car to the checkered flag, completing a final comeback, but this was marred by the need for a final refueling that prevented a podium fight. The Imola race was not easy, with uncertain weather and intense battles in the middle of the race, and the team finished just outside the points zone, finishing eleventh.
The next race will be at Spa-Francorchamps, one of Francesco’s favorite tracks, on May 9th.
Photo ©Ferrari
